Germ

A man in a medical containment suit runs through the forest while being pursued by a bloodied man who screams. The pursuer collapses and the back of his skull explodes, establishing a brutal, mysterious threat. The opening scene sets the stage for the outbreak that will unfold.

Forty hours earlier, Brooke jogs in the woods and is joined by Deputy Max. The two share a private moment, hinting at a developing connection amid escalating danger. Their encounter grounds the personal stakes of the forthcoming crisis.

On a hillside, a small unit of military men installs a mobile missile launcher. Their task is to shoot down an orbiting satellite, foreshadowing interference between space debris and Earth. The operation introduces the crisis's extraterrestrial contamination thread.

As the missile is fired, the satellite is struck by a meteorite and explodes in space. Debris descends toward Earth, carrying a fragment that will seed a deadly contamination. The meteorite's impact ties the military operation to the town's looming danger.

Brooke returns home while Max heads back to the sheriff's office. They each sense something is off as brush fires begin to spread and whispers of chemical contamination ripple through town. The two threads converge toward a larger, invisible threat.

Davidson, the town’s physician and deputy, warns Max about the growing brush fire and the possibility of chemical contamination. The fire department is dispatched to dig fire breaks and contain the area. Davidson also notes a strange bacterium in satellite debris, hinting at interplanetary contamination.

A firefighter discovers a piece of satellite wreckage with a green ooze attached and handles it. He quickly grows ill, signaling that the contaminant is real and dangerous. The ooze ties the meteorite fragment to the unfolding outbreak.

That evening, Karen and her boyfriend Chad spend time together, until a bloodied man wanders into the yard. Chad investigates and does not return. Karen finds his mutilated corpse the next day, and the autopsy hints at cannibalistic activity and a disturbing new pathogen.

Davidson performs the autopsy and finds Chad was killed and eaten by more than one person, and his hypothalamus is expanding despite death. He also uncovers a mysterious bacterium, suggesting extraterrestrial contamination. The findings intensify the town's fear of the unknown.

Brooke rides her bike home and discovers her family under siege by a horde of blooded strangers. They kill her mom and brother, while her father escapes into town. Brooke fights to survive as the infection overtakes her home.

Max, patrolling the area, encounters the infected at a campsite and is forced to abandon his patrol car. He trudges back toward the sheriff's office, where he is confronted by a battered Davidson who is attacked and bitten. The infection spreads through the town, escalating the crisis.

During the melee, Davidson bites Max on the leg, and it is implied that Max is now infected. The bite seals a grim fate for the couple and lifts the stakes for Brooke's survival. The town's outbreak now includes law enforcement and medical personnel alike.

Brooke stumbles upon a hazard-suited military man and helps him back toward armored vehicles. She uses a satellite phone to warn the military and coordinate a response, pulling the encounter into a larger defense against the outbreak. The scene marks a shift from personal danger to organized action.

An infected Max drives a police cruiser out of town and crashes it on the roadside, trapping himself in the back. Brooke finds the cruiser and he confesses his love, showing her an engagement ring. They fight their way out as the infected swarm surrounds the car, ending with them rushing away in gunfire and leaving their fate unresolved.